Call Sign July 2008 - Page 30 - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DAC DRIVER…

Or how Dave Cohen joined the Thorney Island Society! Dave Cohen (E94) thought he was just doing another Westminster trip when his terminal offered him a job to pick up June Stubbs. "She was a very friendly and charming lady," Dave recalled, "and we began chatting away about Westminster – that’s the area itself and not the TaxiCard even though she thought the card was wonderful." June Stubbs turned out to be the Founder and Chairperson of The Thorney Island Society, a conservation and amenity group that takes its name from the former island in the Thames, upstream of medićval London and where Westminster Abbey and the original Palace of Westminster were built. There is no longer any sign of the island, but the Society – which boasts Lord Rees-Mogg as its President and a host of Lords and Ladies as vice-presidents with notable celebrities such as Jools Holland as members, continues to thrive. "Before I knew it," said Dave, "June Stubbs had talked me into becoming a member!" The Society’s original objective after its formation was to save the Great Smith Street library, which had been there since 1893. Sadly that battle was lost, but it encouraged the group to be on their guard with so many historical buildings sited in Westminster. Today it continues to look after the interests of residents and businesses within the area, also acting as a watchdog on local planning and development issues. The area also includes St James and Green Parks. "Jools Holland is just one of our members who love walking in the parks, " June told Call Sign, "both parks are just so beautiful that you couldn’t imagine anyone trying to change them. But you’d be surprised what	A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DAC DRIVER…
	Thorney Islander David Cohen!
	people try to get away with. In fact one of the reasons I first started the Society was when the council tried to pull down a beautiful local church in order to build a car park!" There have been adverse material changes to the area in addition to the closure of the Great Smith Street library. There was the demolition of 18^th Century art deco houses in Marsham and Tufton Streets and in addition the area is threatened with further construction and development work, gradually removing the old Westminster "village" with its hospital, library, swimming pool, post office and local shops. June went on to add that the Thorney Island Society understood the importance of striking a balance between conservation, improvement and new building programmes, but that without a watchdog, developers would flatten the old Westminster. Since its foundation, the Society has grown in numbers and influence. It now has over 500 members and is particularly active in local history and research matters. It has a local resource centre and archive at 10 Old Pye Street where they collect paintings, prints, photographs, period post cards and small relevant artefacts.	It also nominates representatives to attend conservation events and wildlife studies in the capital, also undertaking committee work with a number of public bodies including The Met Police, the Royal Parks and Wild Life Forums. Dave Cohen added: "June tells all the drivers that pick her up about the Thorney Island Society and before I knew what day it was, I’d become a member! But when you consider the links we have with Westminster, its many historical and well-known buildings, it must be in our interest to make sure that developers don’t flatten it in order to make a fast buck." June ended by saying how wonderful the DaC drivers who pick her up are. "I’d be lost without them! The TaxiCard is a real lifesaver to so many in the area." The Thorney Island Society is always keen to welcome new members. If you are interested, go to the membership section at HERE. You can live anywhere to become a member…

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